Going strong for green cause post-retirement

Going strong for green cause post-retirement
Ex-Forest Department Officers Form Expert Group To Save Environment
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Retirement has not stopped this team of senior officers from fighting the environment crusade. They have come together to use their experience and knowledge to take up the cause.
Settled in Karnataka after retirement, 117 former forest officers from different states inaugurated the Karnataka Retired Forest Officers’ Association on Sunday. Former Chief Justice of India M N Venkatachalaiah and Lok Ayukta N Santosh Hegde presided over the function.
The team aims to work towards environment conservation by taking up current forest and environment-related issues, discussing and coming up with possible solutions. If their suggestions are unheard, they will even try legal recourse.
A number of retired officers started work in 2005 but were waiting till they have 100 members to launch the association formally. They reached the figure this year. The team has many senior officials from the state forest service and Indian forest service. The senior-most member is 90 years old.
“We will take up issues like mining, forest management and the Tribal Act. We will put in our expertise and discuss these issues,’’ said association president N V Ramachandra Chetty.
The team is also working on the Forest Rights Act. They discussed threats from of implementation of the Act and made suggestions to the government. When their views were not considered, they filed a writ petition in the high court at the beginning of the year. The case is pending. “If land from reserve forests is given to tribals, it is going to impact wildlife and forest. The Act says four hectares of land will be given to each tribal family,’’ he said.
The team also plans to focus on mining activity in forest areas. Chetty said the association will try to find alternate options to tree-felling due to the Namma Metro alignment. The association will not accept any grants from the government.
Justice Hegde said despite his pointing out corrupt forest officers, some have not been suspended. Justice Venkatachalaiah said the association should consult experts from other fields as well.
NO GREENHORNS THESE
117 ex-officers formed Karnataka Retired Forest Officers’ Association Association won’t accept government grants Aim is to take up key environmental issues and suggest solutions They will seek legal intervention if views are not considered Moved the high court opposing allotment of reserved forest land to tribals Next on the agenda is finding alternatives to tree-felling due to Namma Metro